Social Media fraudster and lover boy arrested

Bangkok police have arrested a 33-year-old married man believed to have conned more than 100 women of their valuables over three years and sleeping with some of them.

Metropolitan police chief Lt Gen Kamronwit Thoopkrachang, accompanied by his deputy Maj Gen Pisit Pisutsak, on Monday morning announced the arrest of Chakorn “Ohm” Boonchern, 33. He was wanted on five arrest warrants issued across the country.

Pol Maj Gen Pisit said police received many complaints from women about the suspect but it took more than three months to nab him because he was devious and sharp-witted. He was arrested at a flat in Lad Phrao on Sunday, Aug 19.

According to many complaints, Ohm met his victims through social media websites. After getting acquainted with them he would persuade them to meet him in person.

The victims told police that the man would then look for a chance to steal their valuables, including cash and ATM cards. Some women said he had raped or otherwise sexually assaulted them. The suspect denied this, saying they were acts of consent.

“I admit that I’ve slept with about 15 women but I’ve never committed rape. I came up with my own methods of conning people and I didn’t copy anyone.

“I have a wife and a child and they cost me 15,000 baht a month. I was an employee of a company and worked in a restaurant before, but I haven’t worked for three years,” Ohm said.

One of his victims, whose name was withheld, told police that she met Ohm through a well-known social media website.

“I was deceived when he posted a message saying he would commit suicide because he was heart broken and had a congenital disease. I tried to comfort him and talked with him on the internet and telephone for about a week.

“He then told me that he wanted to see me to thank me for supporting him. He also told me that he was a son of a famous politician and his parents also wanted to see me.

“When I met him, he told me to take a facial scrub because his parents are well-respected people and he didn’t want me to look bad. While I was taking a facial scrub [at a salon], he took my purse along with 1,000 baht in cash, an ATM card and a notebook computer,” the victim said.

She said she could no longer contact Ohm after that day and admitted that he had an appealing personality.

“Today, I see him arrested but I don’t want to talk much. I just want to slap him,” she said.

Another victim, whose name was also withheld, said she was conned in a similar manner and she was so furious that she had set up a Facebook page called “Hunting Ohm” (http://www.facebook.com/omehunter).

On the “Hunting Ohm” page, many other victims posted messages explaining how they were conned by Ohm.

Police alleged Ohm had no job and supported himself by deceiving others and stealing their valuables for about three years.

The suspect was very careful and changed his accommodation every week to escape his victims and police.

A total of 136 items, such as purses, handbags, identification cards, credit cards, ATM cards, cell phones, laptop computers and other documents belong to his victims, were found in his room during the arrest, police said. – BangkokPost